Government shutdown cancels annual ALS walk, losing research funding opportunity

WASHINGTON — The ongoing government shutdown has claimed a heartbreaking casualty this weekend: the annual Walk to Defeat ALS on the National Mall.

The event, which raises vital funds for research and awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis—also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease—was cancelled because the federal work stoppage closed all events on the monument grounds.

The announcement has deeply disappointed participants who travel from across the country to attend. For them, it’s about losing more than a walk.

Every year, thousands gather in D.C. for the ALS walk, but this year, it simply won't happen.

For families like Dr. Elise Riley and her husband John Simson, the cancellation means losing their annual dose of community.

Three years ago, Dr. Riley, a physician, was diagnosed with